50 Love Countdown
by DestinysTears
Summary: Love doesn't happen in an instant. It's the little things along the way that take it there.  Drabble serial
1. 50: Asking Her Out

A sweet drabble collection revolving around a light-hearted relationship. Rated M at the present, just to be safe. ^^

Ahh, just needed a nice change from the deep plots of my other project, Between Heaven and Hell. Enjoy, lovely readers~

**Inuyasha and Co. all belong to the lovely Rumiko Takahashi. Written non-profit and purely for entertainment purposes.

~"*"~

The seminar was but a low drone of noise to Sesshomaru now. Resting his chin against his palm, the silver-haired college student casually eyed his fellow classmate from across the room.

Typically detached, he had to admit: She was… cute.

Perhaps it was just her manner of speaking, or her frequent and cheerful smiles which seemed to light up this normally dull room.

Today, he resolved. Why not ask this admittedly attractive girl out?

The seminar came to an end, and the students stood up from their chairs, stuffing their papers and things of the sort into their bags. The young woman of his current infatuation was no exception.

Sesshomaru quickly gathered his things into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. To his great luck, he spotted a single paper that had furtively slipped from her desk as she tried to round up her belongings strewn across the table's surface. Seizing this timely opportunity, Sesshomaru made his way over to her desk and picked up the stray paper.

"This is yours, I believe."

The girl looked up, took the paper and smiled. "Oh." She gave out a small, dainty laugh. "Thanks. I always seem to do that."

Sesshomaru pulled his irresistible, one-sided smile. The young lady didn't fail to notice.

"Higurashi Kagome," she decided to introduce herself to the handsome silver-haired man.

"Taisho Sesshomaru."

Unexpectedly, Kagome began to giggle. Sesshomaru raised a brow in question.

"Trust me; I know who you are, Mr. Heartthrob of the Campus, Sesshomaru. We all do."

"Hn. Is that right?"

Kagome laughed again, picking up her bag and putting it around her shoulder. "Oh, don't act like you don't know already."

Sesshomaru smirked. "Well then, I won't try to be humble." He looked at her with a mocking expression. "It's true. I _know_ I am extraordinarily attractive."

The college girl rolled her eyes, though an amused smile still graced her dusty pink lips. Sesshomaru gave out a low chuckle, fascinated with her undeniable charm.

"Just what are you thinking, Taisho Sesshomaru?" she asked playfully with a raised eyebrow, folding her arms.

"What I'm thinking?" Sesshomaru flashed another one of his irresistible, crooked smiles. "Dinner, Saturday night at eight."

~"*"~


	2. 49: First Date

Draaabble, drabble, drabble… How I love the drabbles… ^^

Enjoy! - Destiny

~"*"~

Kagome twirled the plastic straw between her fingers and took another sip. Lifting her head, she gazed at her date underneath her long, raven lashes.

"From the things I've heard," she began, catching Sesshomaru's seemingly indifferent attention, "you're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" he responded as he picked up his glass of chardonnay and took an elegant sip.

Kagome laughed as she left her date to decide for himself, stirring around the shrinking ice-cubes that floated in her soda.

"Though, let's be honest." She released her straw, letting it spin in circles around in her glass of Coca Cola. Kagome smirked, eyeing him with a certain lightheartedness. "You have, _by far_, the biggest ego the world has ever seen."

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, shifting his bangs away from his face with a slight flick of his head. He pursed his lips in mock thought.

"Hn." Sesshomaru looked up at the fluorescent lit ceiling, then back at the doe-eyed girl. "Agreed." The corner of his lip lifted barely, as if deliberately flaunting his unnatural good-looks at her.

Kagome rolled her eyes teasingly, giving her shoulders a small shrug. "Well, with reason."

Almost immediately after her last retort, the food was brought before them, placing two large plates in front of either person. The portions were of equal size, though Kagome had ordered the New York Strip with a side of fresh greens and potatoes while Sesshomaru had the T-bone steak with corn and basil and peppered tomato wedges.

The two said their traditional thanks and began their meal. As Kagome reached with the American-styled fork and knife to cut the first piece, Sesshomaru smirked faintly.

"I am still perplexed as to how such a petite girl like you can eat so much," the 'school heartthrob' commented nonchalantly as he began to cut his own meal.

Plopping the slice of American cuisine tastefully in her mouth, she gave him a snide look as she finished chewing. "You know, not every girl has an abnormal 'bunny' diet."

Sesshomaru gave a short chuckle before placing a piece of steak in his awaiting mouth. '_Interesting,' _he thought inwardly, in a somewhat detached manner.

He had to admit. This was… a nice change.

~ "*" ~


	3. 48: Learning Little Things

The little bell hanging on the door to the restaurant dinged daintily as the two stepped outside. The raven-haired female stretched her arms above her head, followed by a satisfied sigh.

"Oh, I'm so full!" Kagome sang as they began walking down the illuminated streets of Shinjuku. "Dinner was amazing!"

Sesshomaru shoved his hands in his pockets, shielding them from the chilly night air. "Glad you enjoyed it."

Kagome smiled vibrantly while she took in the breathtaking city sights of Shinjuku. The streets were bustling with people, and bright, luminous lights shone every which way. It was truly beautiful, especially at its latest hours.

Having been momentarily distracted from her companion, she turned to the silver-haired male and gave him another smile, yet this time, it was much more subtle and meaningful. "Yes, thank you very much for the dinner."

Sesshomaru only gave a half grin as he continued to walk down the concrete street, choosing to evade eye contact with the vivacious girl. It was only after Kagome once more turned her head to admire the flashing city lights that he began to observe her from the corner of his eye.

Her mannerisms, he thought, were a bit childish at times. It was quite amusing to see her so infatuated with the common night-life of Tokyo, which he could be sure she had already had the pleasure of appreciating countless times before. Nonetheless, she was pleasant company, and it was definitely refreshing to be free of the selfish ramblings women so often partook in.

"So, Sesshomaru," Kagome began, her purse swaying slightly in front of her as she held the strap with both of her petite hands, "what do you plan to be?"

The tall young man took a small peek at Kagome's curious face, expectantly waiting for his answer. He raised an eyebrow. "Does that really matter to you?"

Almost immediately, her delicate expression became a scowl, stunned by his curt response. "Well, _excuse me_ for trying to make conversation with you! Besides, I genuinely wanted to know!" Kagome shook her head in exasperated disbelief. "What a jerk you can be sometimes, Taisho Sesshomaru."

The irritated young woman pursed her lips. _'Well,'_ she thought to herself, _'the rumors _did_ say... I guess he really is the campus heartthrob, as well as the campus jerk.'_ Kagome sighed. Even so, she wondered what she was so surprised about. The walk soon became very quiet, despite the constant noise on Shinjuku's streets.

"Oi," Sesshomaru called to her suddenly. Kagome's head whipped in his direction, though still slightly annoyed with his previous attitude. "You asked to know what I wanted to be, didn't you?"

Kagome continued down the street with him, though kept silent, acknowledging him only with her eyes.

He answered her after a short pause, "A doctor."

Over time, her anger had gradually ebbed away until it had lost all its intensity. Almost too quickly, her lively self had returned.

"Oh, really? That's great!" she admired with another bright smile. "So then, you like to help people? I never would have guessed!"

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow, giving her a quick glance before looking away with an unreadable expression on his chiseled face.

"Oh! I didn't mean it in that way, Sesshomaru. I just didn't know that's what you'd be interested in," Kagome apologized, feeling a bit guilty for her own brash words. Although, another part of her mused about how the two of them could call it even now.

"Hn."

Kagome leaned forward slightly, purse still in hand, and watched the seemingly apathetic-looking man for a moment. Letting out a drawled out breath of frustration, she pulled back and gave him a small nudge with her shoulder.

"Oh, don't be mad at me," Kagome urged him with a little playfulness ringing in her sing-song voice. Giving out an amused giggle, she poked some fun at the cool-headed Sesshomaru, "I'll prove my sincerity one day once you become a doctor. I'll be your first patient!"

Sesshomaru stopped, letting Kagome walk a step further before realizing her companion was no longer at her side. She turned around, finding herself gazing at Sesshomaru's handsome form, standing still in the middle of the night street. The momentarily mesmerized woman could not help but notice how strangely alluring he looked illuminated by the city lights and in the midst of all the bustling people.

However, as Kagome looked upon his face, she did not find the annoyed look she had anticipated to be there. Instead, one corner of his mouth was upturned slightly into what looked like a smirk. His eyebrow was raised at her, as if telling her how ridiculous she sounded.

Even as the two's eyes locked onto each other's, the people around them remained oblivious and continued on their own ways. Sesshomaru opened his mouth to speak, but before any sound came out of it, Kagome stopped him.

"Make a comment to that, and I'll tell everyone that the suave, heartbreaker Sesshomaru actually enjoys helping people," Kagome threatened him with a mock deadly look.

"Wouldn't that just serve to make the girls swoon over me all the more?" Sesshomaru rejoined, bringing a hand out of his pocket to run it through his hair, as if to prove a point.

"_Unbelievable_," Kagome said, shaking her head with a sarcastic smile. She turned and began walking on without her date. His ego had no bounds. Although, she had to admit that his smart-alecky statements were just a tad humorous to her.

With his naturally long strides, Sesshomaru soon caught up to the retreating female. They walked with a small smile to themselves, but each smiling for their own reasons. At least one of them was, that is, after the charming young man decided to crack another smart-alecky remark.

"Well, it worked for you, didn't it?"

Kagome's jaw dropped as she felt a sudden heat rise to her cheeks. Her pace picked up speed until she was a few feet ahead. She unconsciously lifted her nose a few degrees higher in the air as she turned her head back around to stick her tongue out at him.

"Yeah right!"


	4. 47: The First Attempt

Kagome's cobalt-blue Manolo pumps clicked carefully against the concrete steps as she walked down to the busy subway. Sesshomaru stayed a few steps ahead of her, holding her hand so as to prevent her from any unwelcome stumbling, as any respectable gentleman would.

Flashing him a quick yet appreciative smile, they began heading for the gate. Each feeding their own ticket for the day through the ticket reader, they passed through the gate and entered a new crowd of people, though the mass was considerably less dense compared to the swarm of pedestrians buzzing about outside the subway gates.

"Roppongi, wasn't it?" Sesshomaru asked her, glancing over the subway lines.

"Yep," she answered, holding her purse in front of her as she waited for him to finish looking.

"Let's take this one," he decided, pointing to the swerving pink line heading south.

When they entered through the automatic doors of their subway, the train was packed with people, leaving them hardly any room to stand. The subway darted off to its next destination as Kagome hung onto the metal pole for balance, while her date grabbed onto the leather ceiling-handles that dangled off the ceiling. Raising her head to look at the youkai, she gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I never asked you, Sesshomaru," Kagome commented with a low voice, in the midst of the quiet atmosphere of the train. "But you live in Roppongi district as well? That's such a coincidence!"

Sesshomaru shook his head, eyeing her with an unreadable expression on his face. "No," he answered forthrightly. "Shibuya."

"Shibuya?" Kagome repeated incredulously, her eyebrows rising slightly. "You didn't have to come all the way down here to Roppongi with me!"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I'm not going to walk you home, but at least I can make sure you get to your district safely."

Silently surprised by his random bouts of civility, Kagome sighed, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, now you have to take a subway back up to Shibuya…"

"A simple 'thank you' would have done," he remarked under his breath as he began to watch the subway tunnel's lights zip past the visible section of the window.

Kagome laughed, her bright eyes shining with mirth. "Thank you, Sesshomaru."

The subway continued along, stopping a few times before the electronic voice of the station called out of the loud speaker, "_Next stop: Roppongi."_

When the Roppongi station entered sight, the subway train came to a screeching halt and the familiar electronic voice repeated the destination. The doors slid open and a good handful of people began pouring out of the crowded train, including Sesshomaru and Kagome.

The two made their way to the side of the station, so as to not get in the way of the people clambering up the stairs.

"You know, Sesshomaru," Kagome began with a laugh, slipping her purse over her shoulder, "I'm really glad I came with you tonight. It's nice to know that a guy with your looks isn't as much of a bully as I made him out to be."

Sesshomaru raised an angled eyebrow at her. "Don't you have any normal way of saying thanks?"

With a lighthearted giggle, Kagome stepped up onto the first ledge of the stairway. "Special egos call for special thanks," she retorted with an obviously amused grin.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but smirk at her admittedly witty "insult". Now standing up on the edge of the second step, she stood a couple inches taller than him, along with the added height of her high heels. She looked down at him, lights from Roppongi's streets flooding down the stairwell.

Not failing to notice his intent stare, Kagome blushed, ignoring the people on her left trying to pass them. Her grip on her purse loosened inadvertently, and her eyes softened as she gazed on at his truly handsome features. The strands of his short silver hair seemed to glimmer in the night light, framing his perfectly chiseled face. Kagome studied the intriguing markings on his face for the first time, tracing the magenta stripes as they swept across his cheekbones and the muted, lavender crescent moon that adorned his forehead.

Then, without warning, his body leaned up towards her, close enough so that his mouth was mere inches away from her.

But before he could advance any further, Kagome put the tips of her fingers on his lips.

"Thanks for a great_ first_ date, Sesshomaru," Kagome dodged him, emphasizing the "first". She removed her fingers from his lips, turning to ascend the stairs. She gave him one last lingering smile before disappearing past the top of the steps and into the streets of Roppongi district, leaving an inwardly stunned and listless youkai at the foot of the stairs.

However, it was not long until Sesshomaru turned to go, shoving his hands in his pockets as he let out a small breath of hot air.

'_In other words,'_ he said silently to himself with a crooked grin, _'what she's saying is: "I don't kiss on the first date."'_


	5. 46: The Study Date

Dedicated to PickledPlum for her belated birthday! ^^ Happy birthday, Pickled!

~ "*" ~

"Cramming for the exams, I see?" a baritone, almost sultry voice came from behind her place at the stone table, where papers and torn notebooks were spread chaotically about her.

With a weary, drawn out sigh, Kagome put down her pencil and unhurriedly turned her body to look at her unexpected visitor in the face. His molten gold eyes seemed to glimmer with self-proclaimed superiority.

"And you aren't?" Kagome chided back with a simple raise of her eyebrow.

"In fact, no," Sesshomaru responded unflappably. "Unlike you, I have something called _organization_." He drawled the last word out slower than the rest, as if someone of her "inefficient caliber" wouldn't comprehend it.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his teasing remark. "What's this? Don't tell me you're still mad at me for rejecting the kiss," she countered, bringing her legs around to the outer side of the bench as a small yet pretentious smile came upon her lips.

Shoving a hand in his pocket, he smirked, as if completely unaffected by her snide remark. "Not rejected; just reserved for another time," the inuyoukai corrected. The plains of Kagome's cheeks warmed to the slightest degree before she swung her legs back around, returning to her educational mess. How in the _world _was it possible for him to mutate what could have been such a pleasant conversation within the first few sentences?

"Well," Kagome announced with a little more indignation in her voice than intended as her cheeks continued to heat, "if you don't mind, I have a test on Friday that I need to study for. It was nice talking to you, Sesshomaru."

Soon, Kagome was already shuffling through her papers, looking for old notes she had taken during the lectures while she subconsciously waited for the silver-haired youkai to leave. However, much to her dismay, Sesshomaru spoke up again.

"You mean tomorrow," he corrected yet again.

Kagome put down her papers almost exasperatedly before she turned her head in his direction.

"What are you talking about?"

"The exam. It's tomorrow; not on Friday."

Kagome frowned and her forehead creased in confusion. She shifted sideways into a more comfortable position to look at the nonchalant youkai with a better angle.

"Since when?" Kagome asked anxiously, her large brown eyes widening in apprehension.

"You don't remember? They announced the new date a week ago," Sesshomaru responded, a hint of amusement underlying in his tone.

Groaning, Kagome's weight fell against the table as she covered her face with her hand. "You have got to be kidding me!"

How was she supposed to memorize and look over _all_ these notes and papers in _one_ night? She gave a weak glance at the seemingly endless spread of papers across the table. Perfect, she thought to herself. Just _perfect_. How, for the love of all things good, had she not remembered about the change in dates? And now, she would have to stay up until morning _at least _just shoving all this information into her head–

"Would you like help?" Sesshomaru interrupted her frenzied thoughts with a smug smirk.

Kagome whipped her head in his direction. Her doe eyes stared at him relentlessly, as if he had said something completely ridiculous and idiotic. "How would _you _be able to help me?" she asked incredulously, her eyebrows furrowing in doubt.

"If you don't want help," the inuyoukai said with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders and tip of his head, "that's fine with me." With that, Sesshomaru tossed his bag over his shoulder and began on his way, as if he were entirely apathetic to the situation. After all, this had nothing to do with the youkai; fortunately for him, it was none of his business.

Kagome groaned, tapping her pencil restlessly on the table. She gave a frustrated glance at the retreating youkai, then back at her mess of notes and binders. Giving him another look, she resignedly stood up.

"Hold on, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru turned with deliberate leisure, a smug grin adorning his lips. "Ask me nicely," he chided with a smile that looked more menacing to her than anything.

Kagome rolled her eyes, letting out a hot breath of air. "Okay, Sesshomaru," she said with reluctant bitterness. "Would you _please_ help me study?"

Feigning a contemplative moment, Sesshomaru tapped his chin lightly. "I don't know…" he teased as he looked up, as if in thought. "Perhaps on one condition…"

Pursing her lips, Kagome tilted her head and put a hand on her hip. Of course there would be a catch.

"And what would that be?"

"If you pass, absolutely nothing," Sesshomaru answered with a small shrug.

Almost afraid to ask for further details, Kagome narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "…And if I don't?"

"A date with me," Sesshomaru replied simply, giving her an enticing, yet taunting smile. "You can obviously see how I think this exam will turn out."

"Hey!" Kagome exclaimed, giving him an angry scowl. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't be so mad, Kagome. If you look at it, it's a win-win situation for you," Sesshomaru said, his words sickeningly covered with his pompous ego. Kagome just turned away, nose in the air and a blatant grimace on her face.

~ "*" ~

"–No, just find the inverse of the log of two, then mirror it. Try using the 'T' chart," Sesshomaru explained for what seemed like the fiftieth time that night. He pointed at the graph again as Kagome scribbled a few points down. "So do you see a pattern?"

With a long moan, Kagome dropped her pencil and collapsed against the table. "No, I don't see a pattern! I don't _see_ anything, let alone understand it," she replied exasperatedly, her voice muffled beneath her sleeve as she buried her face in her arms. "I'm going to fail – it's hopeless."

"Alright," Sesshomaru said, also putting down his pencil. "As long as you're fine with going out on a date with me again," he concluded as he leaned against the table, propping his head up with his arm as he watched the discouraged Kagome grovel in misery.

"How is that even motivation anymore? Going on a date with you isn't _that _bad…" Kagome sighed, hardly thinking about anything that came out of her mouth at that moment. She picked up her pencil and doodled on the graph, connecting a few of the points on it, making it into a frown-y face. Kagome mumbled dejectedly, "Maybe I _should _just give up and fail."

"Fine with me," Sesshomaru complied nonchalantly. "And just so you know, we'll be going to the local bar and strip club."

Kagome narrowed her brown eyes at her tutor before she grabbed a pillow from the couch and chunked it at him.

"Come on, Kagome," Sesshomaru said as he deflected the small, rectangular pillow. "I'll teach it to you again."

She sighed, pausing for a moment as she stared at all her study material again. Finally, she took up her pencil once more. "…Oh, alright."

Before they knew it, the little hand on the clock had reached the eleven-mark. Sesshomaru looked up at it and let out a short breath of air.

"I'll get us something to drink. You have drinks in your refrigerator, right?" Sesshomaru asked as he stood up, stretching his arm behind his back.

"Mm-hm…" Kagome responded without looking up from her papers, making a small nod with her head as she glanced over her work again.

But when Sesshomaru returned, two sodas in hand, Kagome's head was resting peacefully on top of her notes and papers, her arms curled up comfortably around her. The youkai chuckled in amusement, shaking his head.

He took the blanket that lay folded on the couch beside them and gently wrapped it around her before grabbing his coat that had sat beside it, and headed for the door.

Glancing back at Kagome's sleeping form, he thought of all the work they had covered that night. With a faint upturning of his lips, he flipped the light switch off, quietly closing the door behind him as he left.


	6. 45: Appreciation

A really short one, especially considering how long it's been… But I still hope you'll enjoy this little tidbit despite that. I'll have the next installment out shortly!

~ "*" ~

Kagome flashed him a triumphant grin. "Just guess."

"Hn. You utterly failed," Sesshomaru said with a visible smirk on his lips.

Narrowing her brown eyes, the lively female smiled and gave him a playful punch to the arm before correcting him. "Even better. I _utterly_ passed with an 'A' minus."

"Well, isn't that a disappointment," Sesshomaru said with a shrug. "I suppose that means we will not be visiting the strip club this week."

Kagome rolled her eyes with a little laugh. "But even so," she said, "I'd still like to thank you for helping me the other day."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, curious to hear her proposition.

"So, Sesshomaru, let's go on a date," Kagome told him with bright eyes.

After pausing for a moment as if to contemplate the suggestion, he gave her his mischievous half-grin.

"Strip club?"

~ "*" ~


	7. 44: First Kiss

Hehe, did you know this is my dream date? ;) What's yours?

~ "*" ~

"Alright, Sesshomaru," Kagome said as she sat back in the cab seat. "Now close your eyes."

Raising an eyebrow, he looked at her suspiciously. "…Why?"

"Because!" Kagome responded avidly, raising a hand for emphasis. "It's going to be a surprise!"

Letting out drained breath, the inuyoukai conceded reluctantly. But almost instantly after closing his eyes, he felt a cloth wrap over them, thoroughly obstructing his vision.

"I told you I would close them," Sesshomaru stated as he reached up to feel the blindfold she had tied on him.

"Yes," Kagome replied nonchalantly, "but I don't trust you." He could nearly hear the impish smile in her voice.

When the taxi finally slowed to a stop, Sesshomaru listened as the car door opened and Kagome gave the cab driver a quick, yet appreciative thank you. Feeling a small hand wrap around his, he allowed her to lead him out of the cab.

As the hum of the car's loud engine faded in the distance, a whole new series of noises assaulted his ears. There was an indecipherable, yet loud buzz of people talking and laughing. He could barely hear the surprisingly quieter music playing beneath it. And the smells that filled the air… from sweetness, to smoke, to even… barbecue?

Sesshomaru felt her hands touch his head lightly as she finally lifted the hindering bandana from his eyes. After blinking a few times to accustom himself to the bright lights, he looked around at the spectacle before him.

Illuminating the night sky, yellow, blue, and pink neon lights beamed across the entire site. Colorful tents stood in endless rows, leaving enough room for walkways between them. Spinning rides and other large constructions were scattered among the angular, tent-like stalls. An enormous crowd of people filled the place, some even spilling out of the park's boundaries.

Kagome beamed proudly, letting him take in the lively sight for a moment.

"You look as if you've never seen an amusement park before," Kagome commented, placing her hands on her hips as she turned her attention to the bright scene as well.

When Sesshomaru didn't respond immediately, she smiled softly, realizing that he probably hadn't. Strangely, that fact didn't surprise her all too much.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Kagome laughed as she ran ahead of him. "Let's go, Sesshomaru!" Looking back over her shoulder at him with the grin of an excited child, she disappeared into the swarm of people before him, encouraging him to follow.

Sighing, Sesshomaru smirked a little, trailing after Kagome before she could get too far.

When he had caught up to her, she gave him a congratulatory smile and immediately pulled him onto the nearest thrill ride. After sitting down and lowering the safety bar, another loudspeaker began to blast out deafening music while the ride began to move.

As Sesshomaru glanced over at Kagome, she gave him a playful grin.

"It'll be fun," she told him, leaning in closer to his ear so he could hear her over the loud music. "I promise."

Flashing his own crooked grin back at her, he replied roguishly, "I do not doubt that."

After engaging in numerous more rides, Kagome bought them a stick of cotton candy for Sesshomaru to try. Apparently, he had never eaten the pink fluff of candy before.

Pink fluff in hand, they walked down the overcrowded dirt walkway, eating cotton candy and admiring the bright stalls and the colorful prizes they carried.

Soon they came to a stop at a certain stall, watching curiously as a young couple tried to knock a stack of three blocks from a pedestal with a rubber ball. After a couple more failed attempts, the male gave a defeated shrug, apologizing to his date with his head hung low.

Popping another tear of cotton candy in her mouth, Kagome watched as the young stall operator handed a small consolation prize to the unlucky couple.

"Sorry, try again next time!" he told them with a big grin before shoveling the money they gave him in his apron pocket.

Leaning in towards Sesshomaru, Kagome whispered, "These prize stalls are nothing but rip-offs. Most of them are rigged, so it's really hard to actually win."

"Hn," Sesshomaru uttered as he put a hand in his pocket, observing the concessioner closely.

Meanwhile, the stall manager spotted the silver and raven-haired couple. With a mischievous grin, he eyed Kagome as she talked to stoic looking inuyoukai.

"Excuse me, miss," he called her with a saccharine smile. "You look like you could use a prize! How about this lovely puppy dog?" He indicated the largest and most appealing stuffed animal in his stock with a small gesture of his hands.

Kagome raised her own hand, showing she was perfectly fine. "It's cute, but I think we're fine for now. Thank–" she replied, but stopped before she was finished, seeing Sesshomaru step forward nonchalantly. Noting his almost sickening air of confidence, Kagome sighed, resting her hands of her hips as she decided to sit back on this matter.

One hand still hidden in his pocket, the daiyoukai picked up one of the rubber balls from the basket. Giving it an experimental toss in the air, he glanced over at the stall runner.

"How much…?" Sesshomaru asked offhandedly as he turned his attention towards the neat stack of three blocks.

The operator's eyebrow twitched slightly, sensing an aura of overwhelming self-certainty emanating from the youkai. Shaking the brief, yet discomfiting feeling from his mind, he reminded himself of what a slim chance the man had of actually knocking down all three blocks.

Grinning once again, the stall manager held up an open palm.

"Two-hundred yen for one," he stated. "Five-hundred for three."

"Hn," Sesshomaru responded as he removed his wallet from his pocket and took out a couple of bills. "I will only be needing one."

Beginning to feel a bit irritated by his pompous yet indifferent demeanor, the operator forced a smile on his face and took the money, shoving the bills into his apron. "Alright, well allow me to explain the object of the–"

"To knock those three blocks from the pedestal, am I correct…?" Sesshomaru finished his explanation with a slight tang of impatience for the man.

Shutting his mouth, the concessionaire pursed his lips together. "Yes. In one shot."

'_Won't be so smug for long…'_ he added malevolently in his mind, watching the tall youkai shove his hand along with the wallet back into his pocket. Stepping up to front of the stall, he gave the ball another small toss. The stall manager smirked.

Raising his arm gracefully, Sesshomaru sent the ball flying forward at an unbelievable speed with the simple flick of his wrist. As the rubber ball connected with the blocks, the three shot back with a noisy crash, tumbling to the ground.

Shocked, the concessionaire's jaw dropped as he gaped at the fallen blocks in defeated silence.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise as she gave Sesshomaru a small round of applause. "Wow… Impressive!" she complimented his performance, looking up at Sesshomaru with lighted brown eyes.

Gesturing towards the multitude of prizes lining the walls with a small motion of his head, he insisted Kagome to pick her favorite. Beaming, the corner of Kagome's lips curled into a small smile.

'_Impressive indeed,'_ she thought.

~ "*" ~

Setting the large white dog between them, Kagome took her seat on the opposite end of the Ferris wheel cart. As the two settled in, the wheel began to rotate backward, lifting them into the air.

Kagome smiled, reveling in the feel of the cool night breeze on her face. "I love Ferris wheels," she sighed, sitting back in her seat as she closed her eyes.

"Hn," Sesshomaru replied, giving the enormous dog a brief glimpse before resting his arms along the back of the chair and looking off at nowhere in particular.

Not failing to notice the seemingly indifferent look Sesshomaru gave the stuffed animal between them, Kagome couldn't help but giggle. The inuyoukai turned to look at the laughing girl, raising an inquisitive brow.

"Oh, it's nothing," Kagome answered the unspoken question with a playful grin. "I was just thinking about what to name this big guy." She gave the smiling dog a little pat.

Tilting her head as she examined the furry white animal, she put a mock contemplative finger to her chin. "Hm, let's see… How about… Fluffy? Fluffy," Kagome suggested aloud, testing the name out. "Ah! I think we have a winner!" She peeked over the dubbed Fluffy's head to see what Sesshomaru thought of the name.

He only looked back at her with another one of his signature "raised eyebrows", all while stifling his amusement.

Kagome laughed again, feeling as if he were laughing along with her, even though he was not audibly expressing it. Not long after however, she noticed the slight pursing of Sesshomaru's lips as he continued to watch her through warm golden eyes.

"…What's that face for…?" Kagome asked cautiously as her laughter gradually quieted.

He looked at the girl thoughtfully for a moment, making her tense with apprehension for what he might say.

"…You look beautiful tonight," he told her with his deep baritone voice, continuing to stare into her chocolate brown orbs as he said it.

Feeling heat rush briefly to her face at the bold statement, Kagome felt herself temporarily at a loss for words. However, the short-lived sensation soon dissipated, leaving an unconvinced Kagome in its wake. Seeing that small, crooked smile rise on his lips, she released a hot breath of air.

"Hn. What is_ that_ face for…?" Sesshomaru returned the question to her.

Shrugging with a coy demeanor, Kagome answered him, "Just wondering how much practice you've had."

The dangling carts screeched to a stop, just as the two had reached the pinnacle of the ride. But they hardly paid any mind to it, continuing to stare at each other in a locked gaze.

Finally, Sesshomaru broke the eye contact, only to reach for the irritatingly ever-present Fluffy.

"I suppose it is more difficult to move in a small area such as this," Sesshomaru said as he removed the barrier between them and placed the stuffed animal to the right side of him.

Kagome raised a suspicious brow at him as he settled himself next to her. "What are you doing…?" she asked hesitantly, seeing the youkai return his arm to the backrest of the seat.

"You never properly thanked this Sesshomaru for winning '_Fluffy_' for you," the inuyoukai told her.

"Oh… I… guess I didn't," Kagome replied slowly, looking up as if it would better help retrieve her memory. The earlier feeling of skepticism gradually diminished. "Well then _'thank you',_ Sesshomaru. I really do like him," she thanked him with an apologetic smile for not having done so earlier.

But when Sesshomaru didn't respond and only looked on at her with a strange intensity in his eyes, Kagome furrowed her brow.

After a long moment, she felt her mouth open in disbelief. _'No… He can't be serious!'_

"Don't you dare pull that on me, Sesshomaru," she resisted immediately. "You were the one who insisted on playing that game in the first place!"

Smirking, it seemed as if her plea of defense did not faze him whatsoever.

"Fair enough. Then this will be payback," Sesshomaru replied simply as he leaned in towards her.

"Payback?" she exclaimed, making up for the closure in distance by placing her hands in front of her face.

"For rejecting me the first time," he said, pausing sensually close in proximity to her.

Stunned by his statement, Sesshomaru took the opportunity to seize her hands with his free one, lowering them to prevent them from causing any further defiance. Then leaning forward again, he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips firmly against hers.

~ "*" ~ 

You know, I don't really have a concrete guideline of how this drabble series unfolds. I guess it's just one of those things that's inspired by the small things in daily life. ^^

With that said, enjoy it thoroughly!

-DT


	8. 43: Taking a Step

The silver-haired inuyoukai leaned forward on the round, stone table.

"Go out with me," he said in a firm voice, suggesting that the question had a much different intent than the first time. But Kagome only looked up from the mess of scattered papers with a raised brow, as if she had completely disregarded that fact.

"I believe I already have. Besides, aren't you supposed to _ask_ me that?" she questioned him as she tapped her pencil a few times on her binder. Then eyes widening slightly as if in remembrance of something, she rested her head coolly on the back of her palm. "Ah, but I forgot. You _don't _ask."

"You would be lying if you said you did not kiss me back," Sesshomaru pointed out, in reference to the night before.

Kagome's eyes flashed in a moment of fleeting indignity before she quickly returned her attention to her work. But her efforts were subsequently thwarted by a large, invasive hand. With a sigh, Kagome looked up for the second time. She hesitated before she spoke again.

"…No."

The youkai's golden eyes narrowed. "No…?" he repeated almost incredulously. His hand slowly pulled away.

There was no reason he could think of that would cause her to give him such an answer. After all, if she was truly adverse to him, wouldn't she have rejected him on the very first date he had asked her out on?

Moving to stand, Kagome began to shuffle her papers together. Sesshomaru advanced a step towards the girl.

"Why?" he asked in a gruff voice, suppressing the rising anger in him as best he could.

After shoveling all her schoolwork into her bag, she lifted her unwavering gaze once more to his.

"…We've known each other for a week."

"It must begin somewhere."

Pursing her lips, Kagome dodged his eyes.

"I just... don't think it would work," she replied simply. Then studying his perplexed brow for a moment, she lifted the yellow backpack onto her shoulder.

"Stop giving me these ridiculous answers, Kagome," he told her. Her replies were hardly an excuse. He wanted to know what she was really thinking.

With an unreadable expression on her face, she looked at Sesshomaru for a few long seconds.

"…Fine, Sesshomaru," she said at last. "But let me make this clear."

Chocolate brown staring into gold, she lifted her finger at him to help bring her point across.

"This doesn't mean I'm your girlfriend."

~ "*" ~

My apologies! I would have updated sooner, but my muse for "Between Heaven and Hell" was raging. Anyway, thank you for reading!

-DT


	9. 42: Car Ride

Sorry if the wait was a bit longer than usual… I've been gone in Alaska for the past week or so, but thank you for your patience! Please enjoy! ^^

-DT

~ "*" ~

"You own a car?" Kagome asked, awestruck as Sesshomaru stepped out of a sleek, silver Mazda. _'And such a nice one, at that,'_ she added silently.

Walking over to the passenger side, he opened the door with one swift movement. Noting the casual and almost indifferent effort, Kagome wondered charily how often he did this sort of thing.

With a small motion of his head, he invited her to enter the vehicle.

As they exited the school campus, Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye.

"You know, you didn't have to take me home," she commented. "I usually take the subway with Sango anyways."

"Hn." Then looking over at her a raise of his eyebrow, he replied. "Always the grateful one," he noted, eliciting a small smile from the girl

The two made small talk throughout the car ride, embellished by the occasional chuckle or laugh. When they arrived at Kagome's apartment building, they exited the car and Sesshomaru offered to walk her to her room.

At Kagome's doorstep, he waited for her to take her house keys out of her bag. The inuyoukai watched quietly as Kagome fiddled with them for a short moment before inserting the right key into the keyhole. She looked up.

"Well," she sighed, "thank you for taking me home, Sesshomaru."

When he did not reply, Kagome turned hesitantly with a mental shrug and reached for the doorknob. But as she did, Sesshomaru placed a hand over hers, stopping her from turning the knob.

"Tell me…" he suddenly spoke up from behind her.

Kagome stilled, pressing her lips together softly.

"Why do you play games with me?" he finally asked her, his infamous baritone voice sounding low beside her ear.

"...What are you talking about…?" Kagome returned slowly, still facing her door. She glanced down at the large hand covering hers, attempting to ignore their proximity. Sesshomaru paused, as if considering her seemingly clueless reply with disdain.

"Do you consider rejection a method to incite stronger affections?"

Upon hearing his reply, Kagome quickly whipped her hand away, turning to gape at the inuyoukai with an open mouth after she had processed his words.

"Seriously?" Kagome exclaimed, made furious by his implications. "That's what you think I'm trying to do?"

Of course, she thought to herself in silent mockery. Naturally, because he had such outrageously good looks, every girl was fighting for his affections. She wanted to roll her eyes. Well, it was a given that someone with a notorious reputation such as him would have a ridiculous ego to match it.

"Then enlighten me," Sesshomaru continued on to say.

The girl shook her head with an angry huff. She opened her mouth as if to answer, then closed it again. After studying his face for a moment, she averted her eyes to look down at her feet with a listless shake of her head.

'_I really shouldn't be surprised…'_ she told herself with a wry smile.

"Forget it," Kagome replied shortly, returning her gaze to his. Reaching for the doorknob again, she looked over her shoulder briefly, intending to put an end to the conversation. "Goodnight."

Upon entering her apartment, she quickly closed the door behind her, leaving Sesshomaru no chance to counter. Sighing as the door clicked shut, Kagome put a hand to her head as she sunk to the floor, leaning against the wall for support.

'_Why did I ever agree to someone like him in the first place…?'_ she wondered to herself.

Raising her head, she looked around her unlit apartment aimlessly. Kagome hardly noticed the way the city lights twinkled jovially at her from outside her window.

"…Egotistical bastard," she muttered.


	10. 41: Disappointment

"…Kagome?" a surprised yet concerned voice chimed as a brown-haired woman stepped out from the room across from her.

"Oh, Sango," Kagome said in acknowledgement of her roommate as she moved to stand. "Sorry, I didn't know you were back yet."

The disquieted sigh that came from Kagome as she stood did not escape her perceptive friend's notice.

"Is everything alright, Kagome…?" Sango asked in concern. "Did something happen between you and Sesshomaru?"

Up until this point, Kagome had told her everything that had happened between her and the charming yet cold daiyoukai. The latest news from her raven-haired friend concerning Sesshomaru was that he had in fact offered to drive her home. Sango guessed that must have had something to do with her current effort to hide her frustration – which, unfortunately, was still blatantly obvious.

Kagome shrugged as Sango flipped on the light switch. After heading for the couch, she sighed as her friend plopped down beside her, ready to listen.

"You were right, Sango," Kagome admitted as she pulled her legs into a crisscross position. "I shouldn't have gone out with him in the first place." She laughed half-heartedly. "He really is as conceited as they say."

"Oh," Sango groaned. "What did he say this time?"

Kagome scoffed, resting her head in her palm, "That I was deliberately playing hard to get."

Sango sighed resignedly. "Well, if it makes you feel any better," she consoled, "he didn't seem all too bad when he was with you. I expected worse."

"The funny thing is, I thought so too," Kagome confessed, her eyes drifting off towards the glass window past Sango.

"…Don't tell me you actually started _liking_ the guy!"

Kagome grabbed a pillow and hurled it at her. Folding her arms, she looked away, hiding the faint blush that had crept onto her cheeks. "No, it's not like _that_. I guess I'm just a little… disappointed, is all."

That elicited a small giggle from her friend. "Call it what you will, Kagome."

"It's true," Kagome insisted with a frown. "I don't know, sometimes he just seemed so… genuine. Well, past that arrogant front of his, I mean."

Sango looked at her in sympathy, the humor of the conversation having faded.

Then came a simple knock on the door.


	11. 40: Other Factors

As Sango quickly scuttled into the next room, Kagome took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Kagome, isn't it?" were the sharp words that had greeted her.

Confused, Kagome took in the unexpected sight of the curvaceous, yet slender woman in front of her. With one glance, she could tell that the clothes she wore were expensive and well-chosen. Her hair sported an elegant up-do, but despite her marked beauty, it paled in comparison to the malicious look in her crimson eyes.

"I'm Kagura. But let's cut the petty greetings, shall we?" she said, her voice laced with venom.

_'Kagura'_, Kagome thought. So that's why she had a feeling she'd seen this woman before. They attended the same university. And if memory served her right, Kagura had in fact been in a relationship with Sesshomaru for quite some time. Not to mention her notorious reputation for being, for lack of better words, a catty bitch.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, but otherwise stayed silent.

"So tell me," Kagura prompted as she narrowed her eyes to the smallest degree. "What business do you have with Sesshomaru?"

Kagome's eyes widened. Then looking away with a disbelieving scoff, she shook her head.

"What does that have to do with you?" Kagome asked back with a frown.

"It has _everything_ to do with me," she snapped. Then after giving Kagome a quick yet derisive look-over, Kagura continued to say, "There is only _one _similarity between us, Kagome, and that's Sesshomaru. But even then there's a difference."

"And that is…?"

Kagura rolled her eyes, as if Kagome should have known the answer already. Then after casting an almost subtle glance over her shoulder, she leaned forward, narrowing her ruby eyes at her self-proclaimed rival.

"Sesshomaru and I are just going through a rough patch," Kagura bit out in a low whisper. "_You_ on the other hand, are only temporary."

Kagome felt utterly disgusted. The length girls like her would go just to wrap their manipulative fingers around a man was ridiculous. But even though Kagome knew better than to believe Kagura, she admitted that not allowing the words to get her was harder to do than she thought it'd be.

"If you want him so badly, _you can have him_," Kagome found herself saying without putting much thought into her words, and before she knew it, she had slammed the door shut on an incredulous Kagura.

Putting a hand to her head, Kagome couldn't help but wonder what Sesshomaru ever saw in a girl like her. The thought only served to fuel her growing anger.

One thing after another… Kagome sighed, wondering how she could deal with it all. But in the end, was it all just unnecessary drama? Would incidents such as the one that had just happened reoccur? And then in addition, just to deal with his often proud personality…

Perhaps it was better to just leave things unfinished as they were, and have nothing more to do with Taisho Sesshomaru.


End file.
